Auto or stick?

[blasius01]

Nice truck, I just sold my trx for a manual rubicon! Absolutely love it and I’m actually having more fun in it than my trx. I personally couldn’t imagine having a jeep without a manual

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[jjvincent]

Since I've been working on cars for most of my life and have had lots of manual transmissions apart, I have made the decision to never buy a manual again. Why? Take apart a 30-40 year old manual and they are built like a tank. Take one apart from the last 20 and they are cheapened up to the point that there's a reason why issues happen with them that never did in the past. Things like shift forks. Old school, cast brass and beefy. New school, stamped steel with nylon pucks. Other things like the size of the bearings have gone down and the width of the gears are probably half of what the old school transmissions were. Top it off, syncros are softer and if you are rushing the gear changes, they transfer material over to the gear and thus start to fail. Top that off with bent shift forks and failed thrust bearings.

Plus, manufacturers put in the bare minimum for the clutch assembly. Want more power? Well, you now have to change out the clutch assembly with something that will handle it. I have a VW Alltrack and that crowd loves manuals yet when someone gets one, theres a 6 point check list of what you need to buy to make it operate better. Then if you want to up the power of the engine (which is really easy) the clutch will slip and thus need to be replaced. I have a DSG and that thing got one add on, it was paddleshift extensions. I have added power to the engine and the DSG handles it without a problem. I can paddleshift it or be lazy and let it shift itself.

Technology is nice. There's a reason why the Germans stopped making racecars with manuals and either use a DSG, PDK or even with the new BMW GT4 car, a 7 speed automatic (with torque converter). The BMW M235iR uses the ZF 8 speed too. If you want performance, manual is not the way to go. Automatics have got too good all while manuals have got worse.

 

[Pinky Tuscadero]

If you're feet can do it... always get the manual
I got no problems with my truck but there's no way in hell my 16 wides are going to operate more than one pedal in the super dinky area of a Jeep
Otherwise - go for it !!!

 

[kakwvu]

Since I've been working on cars for most of my life and have had lots of manual transmissions apart, I have made the decision to never buy a manual again. Why? Take apart a 30-40 year old manual and they are built like a tank. Take one apart from the last 20 and they are cheapened up to the point that there's a reason why issues happen with them that never did in the past. Things like shift forks. Old school, cast brass and beefy. New school, stamped steel with nylon pucks. Other things like the size of the bearings have gone down and the width of the gears are probably half of what the old school transmissions were. Top it off, syncros are softer and if you are rushing the gear changes, they transfer material over to the gear and thus start to fail. Top that off with bent shift forks and failed thrust bearings.

Plus, manufacturers put in the bare minimum for the clutch assembly. Want more power? Well, you now have to change out the clutch assembly with something that will handle it. I have a VW Alltrack and that crowd loves manuals yet when someone gets one, theres a 6 point check list of what you need to buy to make it operate better. Then if you want to up the power of the engine (which is really easy) the clutch will slip and thus need to be replaced. I have a DSG and that thing got one add on, it was paddleshift extensions. I have added power to the engine and the DSG handles it without a problem. I can paddleshift it or be lazy and let it shift itself.

Technology is nice. There's a reason why the Germans stopped making racecars with manuals and either use a DSG, PDK or even with the new BMW GT4 car, a 7 speed automatic (with torque converter). The BMW M235iR uses the ZF 8 speed too. If you want performance, manual is not the way to go. Automatics have got too good all while manuals have got worse.

VW actually markets the manual Golf R to the US with less torque than the DSG because they refuse to fix the design limitation of the thrust bearing and pressure plate. It’s absurd, and a sign that manuals are on their way out imo. I like the option, but technology (and cheap design) is forcing them out.

 

[HBDiesel]

Daily driver, family vehicles, off road=Auto (one less thing to worry about)
Muscle car, sports car = Manual or it’s just boring.

 

[five9dak]

Drove a 5spd TJ for 7 years and loved every minute of it. I test drove the manual JL and didn't want anything to do with it. The 8spd auto is way better.

 

[John VonJeep]

What if I told you that Jeep also has limp modes (i.e. power retardation) that are triggered in their Ecodiesel and the 2.0L Turbo? Both have auto transmissions.

What if I told you I've owned a dozen MT cars (including one currently) and not one of them has had a "limp mode" that needed to be programmed in after a recall due to a weak design?

 

[Bocephus]

I had a 6 speed manual 3.6 JLUR, 37s and eventually geared 5.13.

I have a 392, which is auto, on 38s and geared 4.88.

These two have such different power trains obviously that It may not be the best comparison.

however, I would choose the auto if I were buying another JL, regardless of engine.

i love a manual, and my first vehicles were manuals. The JL throws and clutch left a bit to be desired, not terrible, but not great. The TSBs / recalls, and accounts of grenading transmissions / full burn down scenarios did not provide confidence. Also, I know it’s a jeep but the 3.6 manual (even in stock 4.1 gearing and 33s) was a dog. I think the auto is just a better and more capable pairing for the wrangler, unless rowing gears is number one priority.

I stopped paying attention a year or so ago, but the manual was plagued with problems. I didn’t have any of them, but I did have to go in for the recalls - at least 2.

also, off-roading an auto is easier and maybe more capable…but that may be more down to driver skill and subjective.

 

[Grayone]

Guys, I am impressed! Good solid opinions without the usual internet name calling. Great introduction to the forum. Thank you!

 

[Xspurt]

Barely one post addressing what should be a giant elephant in the thread ... why did you get rid of your 392? I have seem a lot of them in the used market with only a few thousand miles on them, sometimes only a few hundred. I thought most of those were flippers and maybe a couple of gas station shock victims but the answer could lie in why.

Was the MAIN reason the lack of a stick shift in the 392? If so your answer should be crystal clear. If that was ONE of the main reasons, still pretty clear what to choose this time around. If that truly played NO part in your decision then I dunno ... people have covered it pretty well above. The stick shifts are fun - I bought a 2015 Mustang with with the 5.0 and chose the stick because I wanted "the full experience." I came to regret it a little (along with it not being a convertible) and sold it in 2018.

Yes, a stick shift can be fun but that fun could wear off and wear off fast for someone like yourself (again, depending on your reasons for selling the 392). However, the 8 speed auto in the Wrangler is one of the few things in the drivetrain they got 100% right and that cannot be said for the manual.

I hope that helped.

 

[Mikester86]

Auto hands down.

 

[JoeBanks]

I have 6-speed manual in my 2021 Willys JLU and love it. Way better transmission than any previous Jeep I’ve driven.

 

[rudyr89]

If you could find both in a dealers lot just test drive them both. While the 8 speed auto is fantastic my jeep is more of a toy than a daily driver. I enjoy rowing my own gears so I opted into the 6 speed. I don’t regret it at all.

Its a hell of a lot better than the JKU was. I threw on some 37s and hit the trails. Wasn’t bad at all. The only thing I had to get used to at first was the clutch. It’s insanely light but I’m also coming from a cobra that had a heavy duty clutch.

 

[Grayone]

Barely one post addressing what should be a giant elephant in the thread ... why did you get rid of your 392? I have seem a lot of them in the used market with only a few thousand miles on them, sometimes only a few hundred. I thought most of those were flippers and maybe a couple of gas station shock victims but the answer could lie in why.

Was the MAIN reason the lack of a stick shift in the 392? If so your answer should be crystal clear. If that was ONE of the main reasons, still pretty clear what to choose this time around. If that truly played NO part in your decision then I dunno ... people have covered it pretty well above. The stick shifts are fun - I bought a 2015 Mustang with with the 5.0 and chose the stick because I wanted "the full experience." I came to regret it a little (along with it not being a convertible) and sold it in 2018.

Yes, a stick shift can be fun but that fun could wear off and wear off fast for someone like yourself (again, depending on your reasons for selling the 392). However, the 8 speed auto in the Wrangler is one of the few things in the drivetrain they got 100% right and that cannot be said for the manual.

I hope that helped.

I traded the 392 for couple reasons. And admittedly they are my issues, not the 392. First, didn't like 4 doors on a Jeep. Yeah, I know the TRX has 4 doors, but it also is a pickup. Second, the bloody thing was scary above 70, it wandered all over the road. I had 35's on stock rims. If I would have kept it, dual steering stabilizers were on my to do list. Third, for a Jeep, it just seemed huge by large. Can't explain it, but all my other Jeeps were 2 doors. Loved the exhaust sound, didn't care about the mileage, but for some odd reason, just didn't care for the vehicle. Only reason I traded for the TRX is dealer gave me more for trade in than what I paid new. It had 680 miles when I let it go. I had the chance to buy it back, but went with the 2 door Rubicon instead. Go figure.

 

[Deleted member 74991]

Just traded my 392 for a TRX. Needed a Jeep in the stable so ordered a 2 door Rubicon with Auto and 4.88 gears. 35's in the future. I am having second thoughts about the auto. My 2015 Hard Rock was a stick and it had less than desirable throws and precision. But I do like driving a stick. Query: is the current manual better than that in the 2015. Will I sacrifice performance with the V6 and manual compared to the auto? First post and glad to be here! Included my latest toy.

I have a 21 JLUR with a Standard Transmission and the 3.6 and I really enjoy it. My 05 Silverado is an Automatic and I love it. Too each their own on either side of the fence.

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